Germany

The badass stories about Johnny Cash abound, and here over a decade after his death, his prominence as a man of cultural greatness still looms as large as it ever did. But arguably the first moment of greatness for Johnny Cash happened off the stage, well away from the spotlight, and before he was known to anyone as a musician.

Holy mother. While the Mumfordization of roots music has left so many string bands looking for the right watered-down derivative to forge mass appeal, The Dinosaur Truckers offer up the pure, uncut, unadulterated form–potent and dangerous and not for the faint of heart. Listen to The Dinosaur Truckers at your own risk.

For whatever reason, over the last few years Europe has become a huge support base for REAL country music. Bands that can barely scratch by in the Stars and Stripes are treated like top notch celebrities over the pond, with larger, more attentive and appreciative crowds and better pay. I have also met a lot […]